Ghanaian authorities have summoned South Africa’s acting high commissioner in the country, Thando Dalamba, over alleged intimidation and harassment of citizens and other Black migrants in the southern African nation.
Ghana’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the minister, Samuel Ablakwa, summoned Mr Dalamba over recent “xenophobic incidents.”
“The objective of the summons was to formally express strong concern regarding reported acts of intimidation and harassment against foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, as captured in widely circulated viral videos,” the ministry said.
The development follows a video on social media showing a group of South Africans expressing their resentment towards migrants, as they accosted a man, questioned his status, and asked him to leave and “fix his country.”
“We don’t want Africans here anymore. We’re tired of seeing African migrants moving all over the world, refusing to fix their own countries. We’re making it clear: we don’t want you here,” a female member of the group told the man.
According to Mr Ablakwa, who cited the video of the incident in KwaZulu-Natal province, the Ghanaian is a legal resident in South Africa.
While noting that no casualties had been recorded, the minister stated that “xenophobic incidents” in the past had resulted in deaths and loss of properties. He warned against the recurrence of such incidents.
Mr Ablakwa said that follow-up reports suggest “escalating tensions with foreign nationals,” adding that it “undermines the dignity and rights of law-abiding individuals.”
Responding, the South African envoy acknowledged Ghana’s concerns and assured that his country was implementing measures to restore calm.
Mr Dalamba also said security agencies were monitoring developments to prevent violence and ensure individuals involved are held accountable.
Earlier this week, March on March, a citizen-led movement in South Africa, led a “clean-up campaign” targeting illegal migrants in Durban.
Another video showed the group attacking a man believed to be an undocumented migrant.
Over the years, xenophobia has been an issue in South Africa, often targeting African migrants mainly from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Somalia, and Mozambique. These incidents often result in the looting of pr?operty,riots, and killings.
